I'm not too familiar with Patriot specs, but the SA-10/10A/10B/20 can engage targets just as low as the SA-6/11 can, maybe lower. Especially when using a CLAM SHELL, it can get those terain-following type targets out to 10-20 miles. Displacedjim

Patriot is generally considered to be in the same class as SA-10. SA-6 would be more like a Hawk than a Patirot.

Patriot is classes as Medium Altitude Air Defense. Its part of the layered THAAD/Patriot/Avenger defense system. Its capabilities, however, are more than comparable to those of the SA-10, and its targets include everything from aircraft, to helicopters, to tactical ballistics missiles. She has a range of 70km horizontal, 26+km vertical (versus ~47km and ~30km, respectively, for the SA-10). USAR considers "High" to be up to 150km vertical, apparently..

That's all true, but I will add that both the Patriot and the S-300 family have sufficient performance to potentially be able to hit any aircraft at virtually any altitude. Also, I'd credit even the original 5V55 of the SA-10 with more range than that, and the later missiles in service in at least a few countries have progressively greater ranges, up to 200km for the SA-20. Displacedjim

Sorry I haven't looked here for so long. Is HAWK still in use? I know that it has a nice export record. Also, doesn't the USA have a permanent SAM network the way Soviet Union did during the Cold War? I have not heard of any new fixed site US SAM launcher since the 50s era Nike Hercules which was nuclear. Patriots operate fixed but can be moved after the stakes are withdrawn. When I say 'permanent', I mean SAMs with concrete bunkers and nailed down launchers.

HAWK is still in use in export countries, including Iran for one. No, HAWK is not in use with American forces. No, there are no SAMs deployed in America since the 1960's, whenever the last NIKE-Hercules were retired--leastwise, not until post-9/11, as were now sometimes have Avenger units deploy in Washington, D.C. during times of heightened alert. Yes, NIKE-Hercules could be armed with a nuke, but I'm pretty sure it normally was armed with an HE warhead. What little need America has for air defense is provided using fighters. Displacedjim

I'm not too sure a stinger would do too much to a 747.... blow an engine off perhaps, but they do have 4 after all.

Can anyone confirm how many Patriot batterys/launchers were Qatar during GW1/Desert Storm? Pref how many batterys - as I'm assuming that they were all 8 launchers per battery.